Rights group decries ‘international silence’ as Israel restricts Gaza aid
Israeli human rights group B’Tselem says the international community has continued to “neglect its responsibilities” as Israel maintains restrictions on the free-flow of aid to the Gaza Strip, including winter essentials such as tents and blankets.
The group noted colder winter temperatures and heavy rain have worsened already dire living conditions for displaced Palestinians across the Strip.
Last month, about 13,000 tents were destroyed and more than 740,000 Palestinians were affected by storms, BTselem said in a social media post.
“Rainwater mixed with raw sewage, creating fertile ground for infection and disease, and leaving hundreds of thousands without basic shelter. Children were documented in summer clothing and barefoot in the cold due to the lack of warm clothes,” it said.
“This is the reality in Gaza today: a winter without shelter, profound hunger, and living conditions that continue to deteriorate. This is a direct result of Israeli policy and international silence.”
Due to the complete destruction that the genocidal Israeli attack caused to the infrastructure of the Gaza Strip, as well as to its sewage and drainage systems, the recent November rainfall flooded the displacement camps: approximately 13,000 tents were destroyed, and more than… pic.twitter.com/V74uusPMfK
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) December 6, 2025
Egypt says Rafah crossing will not be a ‘displacement gateway’
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s remarks at the Doha Forum come after Israel this week said it would open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt “exclusively for the exit of residents from the Gaza Strip to Egypt”.
Egypt has denied agreeing to such a move, insisting the crossing be opened both ways – as prescribed under the ceasefire agreement.
Israel’s announcement drew criticism from Muslim-majority nations that said on Friday they opposed “any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land”.
Rafah “is not going to be a gateway for displacement”, Abdelatty reiterated.
